A research project exploring the role of apologies in dealing with past harms

Event at the Royal Irish Academy

The 29th September 2018 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Irish government’s guarantee of the liabilities of all domestic banks – a controversial decision that turned private debt into sovereign debt and which had enormous implications for Irish economic, political and social life. To coincide with this anniversary, the project team are hosting an event in the Royal Irish Academy on Thursday 27th September (1.30-4pm).

This event will introduce the wider project and present some preliminary findings in relation to the banking crisis, including the results of an island-wide public survey. We will critique apologies that have been issued to date and the manner in which they have been received by those most directly affected as well as the Irish public generally.

Speakers include: Simon Carswell of The Irish Times (and author of Anglo Republic: Inside the bank that broke Ireland) speaking on ‘The Banking Crisis 10 Years On: What lessons have been learned?,’ Annmarie O’Connor of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service speaking on ‘Brokering Between Borrowers and Banks to Resolve Household Debt’, Dr Muiris MacCarthaigh (QUB) on ‘Victim and Public Perspectives on Bank Apologies for the Crisis’ and the project’s Principal Investigator Prof Kieran McEvoy on the role apologies play in dealing with past harms.